Bird Villain

Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfill a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley—simply Blackwater Val to locals—the small town where they both grew up and fell in love. With him he brings his six-year-old daughter Katie who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there...people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother. Only something isn’t quite right in the Val. Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s nighttime streets...or the river witch—another Blackwater Val, of sorts—each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

BLURB  A sister who vanishes.   A wedding built on lies.   And a bride who never planned to fall in love. When Charlotte’s twin sister, Scarlett, disappears days before her high-profile wedding to billionaire Stefan Reimann, she leaves behind two things: letters and proof her pregnancy was fake.  Bound by blood and sacrifice, Charlotte steps into Scarlett’s shoes, sealing herself into a marriage contract and marrying the man they swore to destroy.  Stefan is haunted by the woman he lost and tormented by the one now living in his house.  But Charlotte is hiding more than a heart full of anger and vengeance, and can only fight attraction and desire for so long when she realizes Stefan isn't the villain she expected.  Torn between revenge and a love she never wanted, Charlotte must survive a world of betrayal, buried truths, and bonds meant to be broken. What was supposed to be a one-year contract spirals into something far more dangerous. In a world where vengeance wears a wedding ring, can love survive the truth?

The night my family’s rival gang stormed the mafia ball, I was taken as leverage. My boyfriend, Nolan, and my closest friend, Riven, stood only steps away. But they chose to shield my cousin, Anna, instead. I was being saved by a secret man hours later—bruised, shaken, and already forgotten. No one asked what had been done to me. Nolan only said, “Anna was scared. She needed us more.” Days later, Anna invited me to her birthday party. I went out of courtesy—only to watch her cast me as the villain of her story. Nolan and Luca stood by her, protecting her again. That night, I said yes to the marriage alliance my family had prepared years ago. When I left the city, Nolan finally texted—angry, wounded, offended. “You’re really leaving?" I replied with just one line. “You’re more than welcome to my wedding.”

Just before my wedding, my fate mate, my Alpha fiancé, Micheal, stripped me of my wedding dress—our wedding dress—and handed it to his mistress, Becky Porter. Not only that, but he locked me in the dressing room like some rabid wolf he needed to contain. "Becky has a terminal illness.She just wants to experience being a bride before she dies." I lunged forward, my wolf howling inside me. Alpha's strength pressed against mine, his dominance forcing my muscles to lock. My claws twitched, itching to break free. "You bastard!" I snarled, my breath ragged. Micheal barely blinked. Instead, he let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head . "She’s dying, and you can’t even show a little compassion?" His tone dripped with disappointment, as if I were the villain here. "You’re only losing a wedding, but Becky… Becky is losing her dreams and her life."

“There’s no sleeping and cuddling, Robyn. Just fu*king. I will f*ck you hard and fast. I will f*ck you until I lose interest in you. I will f*ck you every night. I’ll make sure you beg for more. That’s for a year. You will be naked in bed for 365 nights. After that, your debt is paid. I will forget you existed. Unless you have my three million dollars right now, then you have no choice but to bend to my will.” *** One night is supposed to be fun, not waking up sold to the highest bidder. Before I knew it, my boss, the beast with an ice-cold heart and a nightmare to work for, bought me and owned my very existence, turning me into his little bird in his golden gilded cage with impossible choices until I agreed to his dark bargain. Being at the mercy of a man like Spade Kolby with wealth, power, and an enigmatic past as dark as the night, I soon realized that having your boss save your life comes with a price. Nothing’s free. The only way to pay my debt is to be his wife and surrender my freedom. But the second our skins touch, there’s fire. The longer I try to resist his scorching touch and fight his death grip on my heart, the harder it gets, and I know nothing good comes out of falling for him.  Knowing the unimaginable consequences of escaping— how a snap of his fingers can destroy me, his words can rip me apart, and the unbreakable bond that binds us. After all, maybe once he gets what he wants, his obsession with me stops. Or maybe he’s not as cruel as I imagined him to be.

I licked her earlobe and whispered, "You're a good girl, Amelia. Let me corrupt you." She began moaning and said, "Please, please," over and over under her breath. I wanted her so badly, but I wanted to enjoy this moment even more. "I'm going to make you come, baby. I'm going to make you come so hard that you lose control of your body. When I'm done with you, you'll be a villain, too," I whispered in her ear. Adrian Chase was the King of DC and the most feared lawyer in the country. Laws bent for him, as simple as that. Amelia Hartley's quest for justice made her the target of one of the largest and most corrupt pharmaceutical companies. Their paths collide, and a dangerous attraction draws them into a web of desire and deception. They both seek justice, but Adrian is willing to break hell for it. Will Amelia burn it with him, or will she become one more pawn in Adrian's quest for revenge? Empire of Deception is created by Amelie Bergen, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Ilana Denvers is a ghost—an assassin who lives in the shadows, hunting those who deserve it. But when her latest target is a woman with no known crimes, something doesn’t sit right. Josephine Meyers is the fragile wife of one of the city’s most powerful men, and taking her out should be simple. Yet, the deeper Ilana digs, the more the lines between victim and villain blur. Then there’s Calix Meyers—heir to a fortune he wants nothing to do with. Drawn to Ilana’s sharp tongue and enigmatic presence, he doesn’t realize she’s the danger lurking in his home. She never meant to fall for him, but emotions have no place in her world. As secrets unravel, Ilana discovers the true monster behind the curtain: a man who reminds her too much of the past she’s been running from. With killers on her heels and a heart she never planned to use, Ilana must decide—will she finish the job and disappear? Or will she finally stand and fight for something other than revenge?

Tess Janssen was ridiculed with the betrayal of her childhood lover after their marriage and discovering he only agreed to their marriage for the sole purpose of establishing his company with her father´s support, and after her father´s demise he treated her like used water. Unable to make terms with the fact that she was in love with a shadow all along, Tess drugged Ruben and made love to him at a room in the hotel the ceremony for the official launching of his mobile app was held. Ruben woke up furious as memories of the steamy night clouded his memory, she didn't only violate him, she left him signed divorce papers which he tore in rage. Tess traveled to the US and realized a few weeks later that she was pregnant. For a second, she thought to return to Ruben’s side, but news of his marriage got to her ears, and her chest burned furiously with revenge, discarding the thoughts of reunion. On the other side of the world, Ruben made his assistant spread the fake news of his marriage to Tess´s acquaintances. Ever since that night, a seedling of conflicting emotions sprouted in his heart, burning furiously. She was different that night compared to the usually meek Tess, she was wild and free, a part of him was attracted to that and upset she stepped all over him. Unknown to Tess, they were still a legally wedded couple, and Ruben has been on the search for her. Her return to the Netherlands was a mission for her second identity as a hacker, Blue Bird, to investigate ´De Vries, Ruben´s mobile app company for stealing his mobile app users´ personal information. The perfect chance for revenge for both sides wielding a double-headed sword.

Undercover Hearts is a contemporary romance thriller featuring two professional liars who find themselves investigating the same crime from opposite sides. Sophia Chen is an investigative journalist who goes undercover as "Sophia Sterling.” She poses as a wealthy tech heiress to infiltrate Platinum Connections. An exclusive matchmaking service where wealthy clients are mysteriously dying or losing their fortunes. She believes owner Marcus Blackwood is running a blackmail and murder scheme. Marcus Blackwood is an undercover FBI agent. He co-owns the business as part of a long-term federal operation, with his childhood friend Elena Vasquez handling day-to-day operations. When Sophia appears, Marcus suspects she has ulterior motives. Neither realizes they're both good guys pursuing the same case—or that Elena is the real villain orchestrating everything from the shadows. The story follows their immediate, intense attraction as they circle each other with growing suspicion and undeniable chemistry. Both are expert lie-detectors thrown off balance by someone who matches their intelligence and perception. Through disastrous client dates, psychological evaluations, and increasingly personal conversations, they engage in a dangerous dance of deception while fighting feelings that threaten to compromise their respective missions.

THE BILLIONAIRE'S VOW Adrian Knight has everything-power, prestige, and the kind of wealth that keeps his name on magazine covers. But when his best friend and business partner is left in a coma after a mysterious breakup, Adrian's world narrows to one goal: REVENGE ON! Adrian Knight has it all-money, power, and a plan for revenge. When his best friend falls into a coma after a devastating heartbreak, all signs point to one woman: Aurora Blake, the charming heiress with a reputation as cold as her beauty. Determined to make her pay, Adrian trades his tailored suits for tactical gear, posing as her new bodyguard to infiltrate her world and break her heart from the inside out. But Aurora isn't what he expected. Behind the designer clothes and icy front is a woman carrying her own scars, someone kind, strong, and nothing like the villain he imagined. As Adrian gets closer to her, lines blur, lies pile up, and the truth he thought he knew begins to unravel. What happens when a man driven by vengeance falls for the woman he set out to destroy?